In general, vehicles are equipped with airbag systems, safety devices, which protect passengers, using an airbag cushion inflated by inflow gas from an inflator in a car accident.
Those airbag apparatuses are installed at desired positions in the vehicles, if necessary, and there have been proposed a driver airbag apparatus mounted in the steering wheel to protect the driver in the driver seat, a passenger airbag apparatus mounted at the upper portion in the glove box to protect a passenger in the passenger seat, and a curtain airbag apparatus mounted on the roof rail to protect the passenger's side.
In those airbag apparatuses, the driver airbag apparatus includes an inflator that generates a gas and an airbag cushion that is connected with the inflator and protects the driver while inflating with the gas.
The airbag cushion is provided with a retainer having an inflator hole where the inflator is inserted, such that the airbag cushion and the inflator are connected by inserting the head of the inflator into the inflator hole and fastening the inflator with the retainer with bolts.
The driver airbag cushion is folded and received in the mounting plate disposed in the steering wheel and protects the driver while being unfolded and inflated a gas generated and flowing inside from the inflator.
However, the mounting plate is provided with various shapes in accordance with the kinds of steering wheels and the internal space of the mounting plate that receives the airbag cushion is also provide with various shapes.
Therefore, if the driver airbag cushion is folded in one shape, when the airbag cushion is folded and received in the internal space having various shapes of the mounting plate, there are empty spaces between the received airbag cushion and the mounting plate, such that the airbag cushion fails to be correctly unfolded, which has an adverse effect on the unfolding performance of the airbag cushion.